With the advent of computers and word processing equipment there has been a growing and widespread use of continuous computer print-out data and paper forms for a number of typing, printing and office purposes. It has been long known that it is advantageous to splice the ends of such data processing paper and forms to avoid delays adherent in inserting a new web of same into the printer. Sophisticated splicing machines have been provided for this purpose such as, for example, the splicing machine and method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,597 of J. Monroe which issued Feb. 24, 1981. In addition, relatively simple splicing kits have been provided comprising boards having register pins to provide form alignment which are used together with perforated pressure sensitive permanent adhesive tape so the webs can be separated after printing without damage thereto as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,389 of Bunas issued Jan. 28, 1983.
To prevent the loss or damage to the first envelope, check, and the like material of continuous computer webs, when initially inserting or introducing said webs into the printer, it is desirable to attach a leader or leader type device to said webs. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,223 of Stalzer issued Jan. 24, 1978.
Kits are also provided for applying non-continuous envelopes and the like to continuous web-like devices whereby addresses or other material can be printed thereon as the web-like device with envelopes or the like mounted thereon, is received through the printer. Attention is invited to the disclosures of U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,558 of Weingarten issued May 5, 1984 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,139,292 of P. Swyden issued June 30, 1964.
Inasmuch as data processing forms are provided with regular perforations along their edges, alignment of the adjacent ends of the data processing forms can be accomplished relatively easily by providing pins on a board which can be received in the perforations. However, alignment of the splicing tape or strip per se, has presented more of a problem and this is particularly so if the tape is to be applied under the edges of the data processing forms to be joined. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,582 of T. McGrath issued Dec. 16, 1980, a groove is provided into which the tape is received. However, such a groove, of necessity must be very shallow whereby the tape can be easily displaced or there must be a semi-curvilinear positioning of the tape or the bottom of the groove must be movable upwardly to bring the tape into contact with the edges of the paper, all of which requires a somewhat complex mechanism and may present difficulties if the tape becomes unfavorably skewed in the groove or adheres to the sides of the groove before the bottom is raised.
When mounting non-continous materials such as envelopes or checks to a web-like device, one must first remove the continuous data processing paper or form currently in the printer and then, often with difficulty, feed or insert the web-like device with attached envelopes or checks on the like into the printer. Frequently the envelopes or checks or the like slip out of the web-like device entirely or become misaligned. In addition the web-like device itself, because of its pockets or folds, creating additional thickness or projections, may be caught up in the printer mechanism.
A complicating factor is that the distance across computer webs of different sizes or widths between the margins' perforations is not divisable by a standard or single unit of length, so that any structure or apparatus for positioning splicing tape relative to computer webs of various widths should be adaptable to these dimensional differences.
It will be appreciated that there is a need for a relatively simple apparatus and method for splicing adjacent ends of computer data form webs, for attaching leaders to said webs and for mounting non-continous envelopes and the like on to such webs so that material can be printed thereon without being biased, without the interference of the holding tape or strip, and without removing the web currently in the printer.